“This year we have had to work things backwards, so it means more work at less price. We have decided to have multiple price points to fit different budgets,” says Rahul Khanna, of the designer duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna. Their collection is priced between Rs 3,000 and 15,000 — “just right for a sensitive market”, says Khanna.

“Most of us are living in self-denial, but it’s a crisis that will hit the Indian designers in another six months,” says Sumeet Nair of the Fashion Foundation of India, which is organising the Delhi Fashion Week at the DLF Place in Vasant Kunj. “The luxury couture market and jewellery have already been hit. Unless we professionalise in prêt, it’s a problem that will affect our overseas market badly,” he says.

The buyers are concerned too. Even though the event at Pragati Maidan is being attended by those from some of the world’s most well-known luxury boutiques and stores, purchasing may not be at a premium this time. Patt Liew of the British India (Asia) in Malaysia says they are being extremely stringent about the quality and the pricing. “We want to work with a select few and ensure they are worth the investment. These are difficult times for fashion. We have to ensure the customer gets value for money to encourage them to spend on luxury items,” she says.

While US-based Anthropologie has already picked up seven designers, including Rina Dhaka, Ranna Gill, Pankaj Ahuja and Manish Arora, the volume of sales at this year’s fashion week may be decidedly lesser than before. “We are here more to explore the potential of the new designers. Buying will only happen later,” says Berna Erman, buying-in-charge, Villa Max in Kuwait.

The effects of the slow market, of course, do not bode well for the retail segment in India. With the advent of international ready-to-wear brands like Dolce and Gabbana and Gucci, it puts the Indian designers to severe test. “People are more likely to dress down now than deck up for occasions. Most of our target clientele would rather go for a foreign brand simply because of their accessibility,” says designer Bobby Grover.

The effects of the downscale are evident on the clothes too. While fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan saw an emphasis on comfort clothing, Indian designers, too, have downplayed their emphasis on embroidery and embellishments. “I have worked more on the constructions and used them as embellishments,” says designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. Likewise, embroidery, a forte of the Indian designers, have been bypassed in favour of sequin works or use of stones, which is less costly, but equally effective. There’s a greater emphasis on simplicity, with ensembles like dresses and jump suits doing the rounds.